Students at El Camino College should understand the importance of engaging with their peers, professors and faculty.
Is it that students are afraid to approach each other? Is it a problem of social anxiety or a habit of independence?
Faculty have noticed that COVID-19 influenced the lack of engagement students have on campus.
According to Scientific Research, about 40% of students on a college campus consider themselves to be introverted.
Xavier Miranda, a part-time business professor who has been teaching for twenty years, has seen a difference in the age demographic of students attending class at different parts of the day.
Miranda noticed students who take day classes tend to be younger, and falling into the 18-20 age range, while those taking evening or night classes tend to be between 22-40 years old.
The difference in age demographics, where older students take night classes, may mean they miss out on daytime events hosted by the college or student clubs because they aren’t on campus.
Miranda also detailed how the use of social media allows students to be more comfortable talking to others behind a screen rather than in person.
Social media apps such as Instagram, X and Snapchat are used every day, and they can be a benefit for students who may feel more comfortable communicating virtually.
Rather than being uninvolved, students should reach out to others and use their professors and peers as resources.
Building these connections can lead to many opportunities down the road, such as networking themselves into an internship or job.
Gregory Fry, full-time mathematics professor, said students can bond with professors by finding an interest within the professor as friendships can open gateways.
“Friendships and connections last longer. You never know who you could meet,” Fry said.
The lack of student spaces on campus plays a role as well. As a commuter campus, these spaces can especially help foster student connection — and the campus used to have one.
Student Development Office Director Ricky Gonzalez hopes that students can have a student activities center once again, like before, on the campus.
Other community colleges in the area, including Los Angeles Harbor College, Santa Monica College and Pasadena City College all have student commons.
ECC is the largest campus in the area to not have one dedicated space for student socialization.
The faculty are here to help and support the students. As students branch out and engage with campus more, more connections will be built and the campus will become a more social place.
